STOP! - Look at your cell, try to dial this!

Cell Phones and toll-free numbers are not mixing well. Take this TEST:

Look at your cell phone key pad, now try to dial this number 1-800-GetStuf

How did you do?! You couldn't dial it, could you?

Oh sure, if you find a land line phone and look at that then you could. Or if, like some people I know, you are super smart, then you could figure it out in your head. But for the rest of us this does not work!

MARCOM managers please listen: STOP PUTTING OUT PRODUCTS, MATERIAL AND ADVERTISING WITH WORD-ONLY PHONE NUMBERS!

My family and I ONLY use cell phones, cell phones have been ubiquitous for a long time. Please add start adding the numbers underneath ALL the catchy toll-frees that include words.

Thank You!

J

Idea Smelting - Devil or Savior?

I started reading The 10 Faces of Innovation. Only a little ways into the volume so far, but already have run across a very interesting point. The author’s, from IDEO, take the position that playing the “Devil’s Advocate” during creative or innovation sessions is damaging. The language they use is very strong, they are passionate about this. They actually ponder situations where they might tell such a role player to “Go to Hell.” This is obliviously just a play on the devil theme, but I find it telling nonetheless.

Let me take a different slant on this. I hold that when played intelligently, honestly, and with care this role is extremely important and helpful. The key skill needed to play this role is an ability to “ask the hard” questions. This is about seeing pitfalls, dangers, gaps, or unnecessary risks. Without this skill/role failure can loom. Over the past 15 years I have seen many ideas pushed through to execution without any rigorous challenge.

Similar to the way metal can be purified from raw ore via smelting, so too can a cleaner more effective initiative be birthed by taking an unchallenged idea and putting it through the “fire” of a devils scrutiny.

This “idea smelting” needs to be done at the right time and in the right way. There is no doubt that this book holds some great insights, I have already found the redefined roles a stimulating concept. However, I think devil needs to get his due.

Here are some golden rules I would propose to make playing this role effective:

1) Do it at the right time. If done while ideas and concepts are in early stages, creativity and innovation could be squashed. Reserve comments in these stages to only critical flaws in thinking.

2) Offer alternatives. Don’t simply shoot holes, ask “what if we do x instead of a”. Assuming the ideation is going in a good direction generally, this is about steering and less about quashing.

3) Look for gaps. Ideas have a better chance to come to fruition if the gaps are noticed and addressed by the team before they are socialized more broadly. A more complete idea is better than one with holes, right?

4) Don’t just play one role. I agree with the authors that changing hats is a positive, needed skill. By playing other roles and thinking from those POVs, the devil can come across as less of a “naysayer”. Perception is half the battle.

5) Don’t get married to your positions. Just like all input to a collaborative process. Devils need to be flexible and prepared to go with the energy and flow of the group.

6) Pay attention to the room. If there are less mature, emotional, or insecure players on the team, perhaps the devil needs to play his role offline or in a separate session with more senior team members only.

J

Gap Analysis - Continuing Ed

I have been thinking about continuing education. I am working on getting my real estate license. I invest in real estate and just want the knowledge. Anyway, part of the deal with a real estate license is a continuing educational requirement. I think this is good, although I am not sure it is the exact model we need in marketing.

However, I do think that there seems to be a lack of "educational" opportunity in our field. It seems that there are a few options: read, take college classes, OJT, seminars etc. But where could I go if I wanted to get "certified" on the latest CRM techniques? I think that there is a great opportunity for someone to step up with some good on-line courses that sit in-between college classes and webinars. How cool would it be to sign-up for a series of CRM classes on-line, say 4 levels from basics to advanced, and to get a certification afterwards. If this was done by a college or a Forrester or similar firm, I think it would carry some weight.

If you know of some things that exist in this vein, please share.

J

My New Home

I am happy to report that I have jumped back into the fray. I am now with THINK Interactive here in Atlanta...


Drop me a line:

THINK Interactive, Inc. | 1350 Spring Street, Suite 300 | Atlanta, Georgia 30309 | 404.962.8976 | www.thinkinc.com

Primal Change

Went away to the mountains for the weekend and took Primal Branding, good to scan that again. One note towards the end caught me eye, “All belief systems need to be reenergized lest they grow stale and risk public refusal.” I buy it.

I thought about why brands that I have worked with do refreshes. More often than not it has been for reasons that are not about re-energizing because it’s just time and the brand is due. Emergence from bankruptcy, lagging sales, fierce new competition, new chiefs, these are the reasons that have been the impetus for the branding work I have done. Maybe now is a good time to think about more frequent pulse-taking for your brand? Do consumers say you need to refresh?

On a personal level here is my list (it is Monday) of things I need to refresh for my “personal brand”:

1) Endurance

· Once on a path, if its good and right, stick to it

2) Extra Mile

· Everyday, try to do a little extra, for the family, faith, and the agency

3) Focus

· Research seems to be indicating we are all overdoing the multitasking thing, and it is hurting productivity

4) Simplify

· People get way too much data these days, boil communication down. Power point slides? No more than 3 points per slide and keep them clean

5) Fear Not

· At the end of the day, you can only control what you can control. Do the homework; give it your all, and what will be will be

Is it time for you to re-energize?

J